Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to signaling in a voice over IP (VoIP) network. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to using VoIP signaling to control a digital video recorder (DVR) in a cable network.
The increasing availability of high-speed data services and broadband connections has accelerated the integration of telecommunications services offered to consumers and businesses alike. Hybrid fiber cable (HFC) systems now offer a wide-range of services from digital video to Internet to voice over IP (VoIP) services. The boundaries between these services continue to erode with video terminating equipment (the “set top box” or “STB”) providing subscribers access to data and voice services.
A digital telephone subscriber receives telephone calls via a data connection that terminates on the subscriber's premises a multimedia terminal adapter (MTA). The data stream to the MTA and carries both a control signal and an information signal (voice).
While access to telephone communications services is generally considered a necessity, receiving unwanted or untimely calls has become a major source of irritation to telephone service subscribers. Caller ID, caller ID screening, and answering services are available to filter out undesired calls. However, even calls that a subscriber may want to answer may come at an inopportune time. Specifically, an important call that comes during the viewing of a television program presents the subscriber with several sub-optimal choices. The subscriber may attempt to watch the program while talking on the telephone, thereby providing distracted attention to both the program and the caller. The subscriber may attempt to manually record the program either before answering the call or while talking, thereby risking missing the call or some or the entire program. Or the subscriber may simply elect to miss the program altogether.
Similarly, a subscriber may want to make a phone call during a program for any number of reasons. For example, the subscriber may want to order an advertised product, order food, or call a friend to discuss a program.
What would be useful is a system and method for automatically recording a program from a point where a call is answered or initiated by a digital telephone subscriber thereby allowing the subscriber to resume watching the program from answering or initiation point through the end of the program.